Yes, I know several TBMs who drink coffee--not so secretly. Some stop off at coffee shops, and you'll notice most Starbucks have drive-thrus. The most awkward place to see a TBM is in a Utah State Liquor Store. There, nobody pretends to know anybody. The Boner.

Ah, the state liquor store. You reminded me how when at BYU in late 70's early 80's I used to by booze at the state liquor store with my BYU ID - it had my picture on it - and my out-of-state DL - which did not back then.

One thing that often works for me: with some cocoa or chocolate powders, mix the powder with the other powdered ingredients first. Then add the liquid to that gradually, stirring, until it's sort of a smooth syrupy thing. Then add the rest if the liquid. It can make it easier. In the long run.

My uncle has been a coffee-drinking, smoking, "jack" mormon for about 50 years. He just had his 70th birthday.

He's held a temple recommend all that time, too.I used to think it was because they didn't want to lose the ward organist (which he was for years and years), but I think it's just that away from SLC and Happy Valley, (southern Utah), the bishops tend to be a bit more tolerant of jack mormons.

Despite the fact that I'm southern, not a Morridor baby, I was brainwashed from infancy on up that coffee was bad, Bad, BAD... I figured that even the process of making a pot of that stuff was sinful, and if I made a pot to give to somebody else, I would be responsible for facilitating their sin...

For years, I was a Red Cross Disaster Services volunteer. When I was responding to local disasters (like large fires, or local flooding) if they'd ask me to make a pot of coffee, I'd respectfully decline. So the local administrators would just ask somebody else to make the coffee.

I refused to make coffee on national disasters, too, until 1993, when I was sent to St. Louis to respond to the massive, several month long flooding event they had up there. I was working a shelter, and was asked to make coffee for shelter residents. As usual, I declined to make it, citing religious reasons.

That's when I found out my immediate supervisor was also a Mormon, and she very firmly reminded me that we were there to serve ALL disaster victims, not just the LDS ones. She pointed out that she did not drink coffee either, but part of my job as a Red Cross volunteer was to serve the people in whatever way was needed -- and right then, they needed coffee. This supervisor was kind, but firm -- if I wanted to remain a volunteer at her shelter, I would make coffee for the residents. I didn't have to drink it myself, but I needed to make it.

So I did. I didn't know how to make coffee, so my Mormon supervisor taught me how to do it.

Looking back, I was so anal about it.

But back then, I almost think I was surprised when God didn't strike me down right then and there for making a lousy pot of coffee that I didn't even drink myself.